Orion
by ItsLukasBondevik
Summary: Eren has spent the first half of his second semester pining over the adorable, bespectacled librarian at the Maria County Public Library with absolutely no expectations that anything would come of his infatuation. But Armin Arlert is everything that he could have ever hoped to have during the tumultuous twentieth year of his life.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: My sister has insisted that I publish this SnK fanfiction, so here it is. So far I have up through chapter 8 written, and hope to have around fifteen completed by the time this work is through. I hope you enjoy it.

Also, since Mikasa's father doesn't have a canon first name, I have given him the generic white man name John.

Chapter 1

Eren Jaeger hadn't been to many libraries, so he really had nothing to compare the Maria County Library to. It wasn't exactly new, two of the front windows obscured by the faded sign with a woman depicted out front of the building, coupled with the peeling, yellowed letters on the doors. Even the interior was rather outdated, stained carpets with patterns reminiscent to public bus seats and dented where tables had long been present. The colors on the walls were four different shades of white, ranging from almost gray to the newly white painted lobby that made the rest of the building seem old.

Even the shelves, worn and chipped, seemed in desperate need of repair. Eren stood beside one row dedicated to science fiction, glancing at the titles for something that might possible pique his interest. The covers were almost all campy and cheesy, he noted, wondering if it was a coincidence or simply an occupational hazard of being in that genre. He wasn't sure. He hadn't done too much reading in general, and the battered, dusty tomes truly held no interest for him.

No, he was here for another reason entirely. Though that reason didn't appear apparent to him for quite some time as he skulked through the shelves, trying and failing to find something to kill time with while he waited. He was all fast paced action movies and underdog winning against all odds type of guy, and just from the titles and covers he found it next to impossible to determine what might possibly be something he would like. As he was starting to give up hope, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a splash of blond hair and turned to peek through the row of books.

It appeared the librarian was just starting his shift. His arms were full of books that he was piling on the counter and he seemed to be weighed down by the strap of the blue faux leather satchel on his arm. Eren had been waiting around to see if he worked today though he wouldn't have admitted it to anyone even if he had wanted to. He pushed the books farther to the end of the shelf, feeling almost like a stalker as the petite librarian settled himself in to the podium where he checked the books in and out for use.

"Are you going to talk to him today?" He jumped, though only a little as he recognized the familiar voice of his stepsister Mikasa. He hushed her, grabbing her by the red scarf she was wearing and tugging her down to hide with him behind the stacks of books. Mikasa obliged, peering through the worn pages to get the same view that Eren was getting. Her straight black hair fell in long waves over her shoulders, the glint of her gray eyes showing dimly in the luminescent lighting of the library.

"Don't be so obvious, Mikasa," he stressed to her with a grimace, taking his eyes from the podium to glance at her briefly in annoyance. She frowned, though in confusion more than anything, as she regarded her younger brother. She was taller than he was, with the physique of a body builder but the face of a Japanese idol. He was almost too familiar with her legions of fevered suitors, who one right after another were scorned and ignored by her. Eren had to admit that he found it really hilarious, especially with it came to that jackass down the street with the horrible two-toned hair cut and smug face.

She asked, a little quieter this time, "I don't understand Eren. We've been coming here for nearly two months now to pretend to look at books and hope that Armin Arlert is working. But you haven't talked to him yet?" He flushed in annoyance, glaring at Mikasa and choosing not to respond to that comment. Instead he straightened up from his position behind the shelves and flattened his shirt with one hand. He strode away from his sister quickly to avoid the question.

What was he doing? He wasn't sure, not really. He'd been coming here for a couple weeks with no actual goal in mind thus far besides the desire to see the cute blond librarian. Sometimes Mikasa was with him, sometimes she was not, but every time she posed the same question: 'Why don't you go talk to him?' And every time he remained silent and avoided answering. Why hadn't he gone to talk to him? Eren didn't really have a straight answer. He wanted to, definitely, but the awkward small talk that would almost definitely ensue afterward was mostly the reason keeping him silent. What if they had nothing in common to talk about?

He was heading for the door without paying any attention, his mind so full of the thought of ever actually talking to Armin when someone, he assumed Mikasa, called out, "Wait!" It was too late as he slammed his shins into a cart full of books and toppled over on top of it, the cart shooting across the carpet like a racecar. He felt the bumps of the stairs grinding one of the tomes into his gut with each drop, until finally the cart hit the bottom and flipped over with Eren on top of it. His eyes were fuzzy and he felt a little dizzy, though he mentally checked himself and determined that he seemed to be relatively unharmed, save for a jabbing sensation into his spine. A loud grunt escaped his lips as he attempted to move the cart from on top of him, but he was too dazed and his arms too wobbly to do much more than shift it slightly.

"Eren!" He heard Mikasa's footsteps thunder down the staircase and felt a flush creep up his cheeks when he realized the stupidity of the thing that just happened. He literally couldn't have made a bigger idiot out of himself then he did just then. Despite the fact that he was covered in books and had a large plastic cart on his head, the only thing he could think of was that he hoped that Armin hadn't seen that happen. The cart was lifted from his back and someone turned him around on their lap, brushing his bangs from his face.

"Are you okay?" The voice was soft, the tone a little higher than his own, and it took him a moment to recognize that it did not belong to a woman. When he realized it wasn't Mikasa his eyes shot opened and he caught the baby blue eyes of the blond librarian. "I tried to warn you, I didn't mean to knock you down the stairs!" He had tears in his eyes and his voice was shaking and Eren was almost too stunned to respond. Mikasa appeared at Armin's shoulder and touched Eren's face in concern.

"Eren?" Armin glanced at her and then back to him, his face still a mask of worry that didn't seem to fade at all. Eren shook his head slightly to clear it, though he couldn't tell if it were the fall down the stairs or the close proximity to Armin that was leaving him a little dazed. He swallowed hard and sat up, pressing a hand to the egg sized lump protruding from the side of his head. Armin's small hands were still holding onto his arms and his wire framed glasses were slightly askew from all the action.

Clearing his throat, he said sheepishly, "Yeah I'm fine. My head hurts a little, but I'm good!" Mikasa nodded in relief as Eren pulled himself to his feet, though the little librarian stayed kneeling by the bookcart and began to clear up the clutter of Eren's misadventure. With a frown, he leaned down and righted the overturned cart, taking the books out of Armin's hands and piling them neatly back into it. "Let me help you," he murmured without making eye contact with Armin. He was too embarrassed to, after that huge mess he caused and how big of a fool he just made himself look.

"Oh, sure!" Armin replied back, surprised and grateful, and the two had the books cleaned up as quickly as Eren was able. As the last novel was placed tidily into the cart, Eren spun on heel to scurry promptly back up the stairs and never return back to that library as long as he lived. His fight or flight instinct was very firmly leaning towards flight, and he was sure he couldn't bear to talk about the events that just unfolded. However, he got as far as placing his hand on the edge of the railing before Armin spoke to him, his voice hesitatant but firm.. "Hey, thank you." Eren froze on the steps and waved a hand without turning around, trying to avoid looking at him so Armin couldn't be subject to the ridiculous expression on his face.

"Not a problem, man." God, he sounded like an idiot.

"I'm Armin, by the way!" That truly caught Eren's attention and he turned around to see the nervous grin on the librarian's face as he removed his glasses. He tucked them into the front pocket of his shirt and held out his hand to Eren. "It's nice to meet you."

Uncertain, Eren hopped down the couple of steps that he had already taken to reach out and grasp Armin's hand. "My name's Eren Jaeger, nice to meet you too."

"I've seen you around a couple times before," he mentioned casually, after they finished shaking hands and that revelation took Eren by surprise. "It's nice to finally put a name to a face." Eren knew that was not true, that the librarian definitely knew his name from the couple of times he had checked out random books with him; it was right on his library card. But he said none of that as he laughed and placed a hand on his hip.

"Well after that failed attempt at stair surfing, you'll probably never forget it either!" His grin was all bravado, but Armin laughed and it didn't seem to matter that he'd rolled down fifteen stairs and landed on his face at the bottom. The young man wheeled the cart to the elevator by the main entrance and pressed the button to take it back to the main floor, turning around to wave at Eren as he waited for it to arrive at his level.

"See you around, Eren!" Eren waved just as Armin turned back around to enter the elevator and watched the doors close behind him. Sighing, he ran a hand through his short brown hair as he turned to look for his sister. Mikasa was waiting quietly at the bottom of the stairs, a small smile on her face as Eren motioned for her to follow him out the door. When they were in the safety of her car, he rolled his eyes at her as she backed out of the parking spot, his arms crossed indignantly over his chest. He was glad they were going straight home, because he wouldn't be able to handle Mikasa the way she was right then in public any longer.

Her lips were still upturned in that same smile and Eren shot her a pouting frown. "What are you so happy about, Mikasa?" Without looking from the road, she patted his arm gently but did not answer as she parked in the driveway in front of their one story home. His mother's car was still gone, he noticed, so she must not be home yet. The sight of her tired looking old Buick Century was always comforting and the thing had kept running through his father's death and all of Eren's childhood into adulthood, so he couldn't be too upset about the way that it looked. Some of his best memories were in that car, like when Mikasa came over for the first time as a little girl.

The two had been best friends ever since.

"You should clean yourself up a little before mom gets home," she advised him as they tossed their schoolbags into the front room of the house. It was a small three bedroom two and a half bathroom home on the outskirts of the suburbs surrounding their hometown. The furniture was modern, a black leather sofa with a matching recliner in the family room, a sleek black coffee table with a glass top, and a black wooden entertainment center in the middle of the far wall. A few video game systems were hooked up as well, with a mix of Eren and Mikasa's games strewn on the floor to the right of the entertainment center.

Most of the newer things in their house belonged to Mikasa's father. After Eren's father had died, Carla Jaeger held on to much of the furniture and items they had bought together. Once John Ackerman came into the picture, everything had changed, though Eren knew it was for the better. As time went on, the new was exchanged with the old and his mom seemed a lot happier.

"Dad's gone, too," Mikasa noted, when she returned from checking the garage for his car as well. Eren shrugged as he went to the fridge to find something to eat and his sister sat before the television, flipping through channels without stopping on anything she found interesting. He heated up leftover steak and potatoes for them both as he watched Mikasa lounge comfortably in the corner of the sectional. She had come a long way since their parents had gotten married, that was for sure. While they were the same age, Mikasa was a lot more introverted and quiet, though she did leave the house with him whenever he invited her anywhere and they carpooled to school together. But there were times when she preferred to stay at home with their parents, or whole up in her room for a week at a time reading Japanese comics online.

He leaned over the back of the couch with her plate, the warmth of the just reheated food comforting on his fingertips. "Hey," he said with a grin to get her attention. She blinked and glanced over to him, graciously accepting the dish with a smile. They sat together on the couch and just let the TV play whatever happened to be on while they quietly enjoyed each other's company. It was a rare occurrence when they were both home alone, and neither had work or school to worry about.

It was only a couple of hours of bad reality television later that Carla and John returned home. They must have gone out together after work, since he heard the sound of both of their cars arriving at the front of the house. The door opened to the garage, and Eren's mother walked in. She was a pretty woman with long brown hair and brown eyes, and skin that was exactly the same color as Eren's. Mikasa told him more than once that she could tell her was her mother's child, because of the shape of his face, and the curve of his eyes. After she mentioned it, Eren had to admit that he could see it too. "Eren, Mikasa dear, would you please help your father with the groceries?" Carla asked as she lugged in a case of water from the garage.

"Yes, mom!" they replied in unison and jumped up from the couch, quickly leaving their dirty dishes in the sink. Eren helped his mom with the case of water as Mikasa headed out into the garage to help her father. Between the four of them it took less than fifteen minutes to get all of the groceries inside from the car and put away properly, only snippets of conversation exchanged between the four of them. Once they were all ready, the four of them gathered into the family room together. Eren didn't really remember when the tradition started, but since they were young kids their parents insisted on getting together every evening for any amount of time just to talk. Sometimes, if it wasn't too late, they'd watch a movie together or play a board game.

They all had their regular spots in the living room; Eren in his father's old recliner and Mikasa on the floor by his feet. John and Carla sat on the couch together with his arm around her shoulders. It was a tradition older than the marriage that made their family official, and Eren would be lying if is said that he didn't enjoy it. Carla was the first to speak, holding her husband's hand as she did. "The bakery was pretty busy today. Eren, I'll probably have you come in for some extra hours the next few weeks since spring break is starting soon." He nodded and listened to John talk about his day at the shop and some of the colorful costumers that brought their motorcycles in for tuning. John Ackerman was a rather plain man, with short blond hair and blue eyes. Unlike the resemblance between Eren and Carla, Mikasa and John Ackerman did not look very much alike; if Eren didn't know better, he would have never guessed he was Mikasa's father at all.

Mikasa spoke next. "Eren and I ate lunch today at Cafe Rio and then we went to the library. I got to see Eren stair surf on a book cart and land on his face." She stated it so casually and calmly that it took a moment for the three of them to realize exactly what she had said and Eren flushed bright red as his parents gasped loudly.

"Eren! That's so dangerous!" Carla said as she stood up and strode over him. She grasped his face to look him over and make sure he wasn't injured.

"Thanks a lot, Mikasa," he grumbled, his voice coming out muffled as his mother squished his cheeks while rotating his head to search for injuries. Mikasa's hand went over her mouth to hide her amused smile and John simply looked like he was trying not to laugh. "It was an accident," he insisted, gently removing his mother's worried hands from his face. "The librarian didn't see me and I didn't see him. He was trying to go around and I ran right into his cart. But I'm fine!" Carla didn't seem convinced but she took his word for it as she sat back down by her husband.

She sighed and shook her head. "Please be more careful, Eren."

The rest of the night went quickly as they watched a little television together before going to bed. Carla kissed them both goodnight and Eren waved to Mikasa as they separated into their rooms at the end of the hallway. Eren's room was cluttered with clothes on the floor that he kept promising his mom he would clean up and he stepped around them to his closet. At the very least, he knew which ones were clean and which were dirty, he thought to himself, tugging his shirt off and stripping down to his boxers. He took a moment to examine himself in the vanity mirror on his dresser, frowning slightly at his plain brown hair and rather slim physique. His only notable features were his eyes, blue and green and bright. He got the most compliments on them.

Finally feeling tired, he plugged his cell phone into its charger and flopped down into his bed, taking a moment to check his Facebook from his mobile. In the upper left corner he saw he had a new friend request. Curious and a little surprised, he checked the notification and realized it was Armin Arlert, a laughing candid of his face as his profile picture that made Eren smile. He clicked accept and locked his phone, pressing his face into his pillow and closing his eyes to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Eren's cheek was pressed against his palm, attempting to keep himself awake in class as his teacher droned on and on about trench warfare and the effects it had on the outcome of World War I, as well as why it wouldn't have been an acceptable option in World War II. He normally would have found it pretty interesting if it weren't for the dull, monotone way the teacher was speaking. Two rows down near the door sat Mikasa, diligently taking notes and paying attention like she always did. He would have to borrow them for later.

The clicking noise the clock made above the door was nearly painful as he watched the second hand tick, tick, tick by slowly. He had only one more class that day after this, and he didn't really understand why it was so necessary to teach the day before their two week spring break started. When he felt his head drop he jerked up, slightly confused with temporary sleep and shook his head. He was ready for his vacation from college to begin. The vibrate of his phone in his pocket alerted him to a new message, and he saw that Mikasa had texted him.

From: Mikasa  
>Body: Lunch after class?<p>

He glanced up to make sure his teacher wasn't looking and began to type on his screen.

From: Eren  
>Body: Sure, last day before break let's splurge.<p>

From: Mikasa  
>Body: ~\(=v v=)~

He tucked his phone back into his pocket and leaned back in his chair as far as he could comfortably balance and crossed his arms, listening to the lecture halfheartedly as he stared longingly out the window. The door opened at the front of the class but he didn't bother to look, assuming someone got up and left out of sheer boredom. He probably would have done the same, if Mikasa wasn't his ride and a exemplary student. "I'm sorry to interrupt your class, but I wanted to turn in my final paper and I am not going to be here during your office hours."

"It's all right Armin, I'll accept it now." Eren turned away from the window so quickly he felt his neck crick as he faced towards the front of the class. Armin Arlert wasn't wearing his glasses, but he had his hair pulled away from his face into a half ponytail, his bangs brushed to one side in a hurry as he talked fervently to his teacher about the paper. He felt Mikasa's eyes on him but chose to ignore her, knowing that if he looked at her it would be all over. The embarrassment would be too much.

Finally, Armin turned to leave with a wave to the teacher and glanced out into the lecture hall momentarily as he turned towards the door. Eren knew a flush was creeping up his neck as Armin caught his eye and the blond young man smiled at him. Before Eren could react, he felt his chair jerk underneath him and the ground smacked him in the back of the head. The laughter in the classroom erupted and his sat up, his vision unfocused as someone hurried next to him. "Eren?" He blinked several times in uncertainty before his vision cleared and once again he saw that Armin was kneeling next to him in concern. "You okay?"

Chuckling in embarrassment, Eren rubbed the back of his head and said, "We really need to stop meeting like this." Armin laughed, though Eren wasn't sure if it were a concussion induced hallucination or not but it seemed like his cheeks were slightly reddened. Armin helped him to his feet and lifted the chair until it was upright, a hand over his mouth as if to hide the fact that he was still laughing at him. Before either could say anything more, the bell sounded in the automated tones that signaled the end of class and the rest of the students began to swarm around them to leave the lecture hall. Armin was pressed up against Eren by the crowd and Eren was frozen to the ground, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he waited for the rest of the students to exit the classroom.

Armin stepped back and cleared his throat, tugging on his messenger bag nervously as he stared at his feet. "Eren, Armin." Their awkward silence was broken by Mikasa's voice as she stood by the door, her bag in her arms and her red scarf pulled up, almost concealing her mouth. "Let's go." She spun around and left the room and Eren nudged Armin in the arm, motioning towards the door.

"Where are we going?" he asked, bemused, as he followed Eren down the steps and out into the hallway of the building. Mikasa was several paces ahead but Eren didn't bother trying to catch up because knew she would understand.

"Food! You're welcome to come if you want," he offered, trying not to seem too eager but most likely failing when Armin's face lit up at the suggestion. It shouldn't be this easy, he thought to himself as Armin agreed, the two rushing to catch up to Mikasa as they headed to the mall to eat. They were right down the street from the mall from where they were at the university. It took about ten minutes for Mikasa to drive them there and they piled out and headed to the pizza shop inside. "Hope you like pizza," he said with a grin, though he internally bashed his head against a wall.

Of course he does! Who doesn't?

"Yeah, I do!" he replied timidly as they got a table together and Eren had to withhold a groan at his own stupidity. It didn't take long for them to settle on a pizza and they waited in an vaguely awkward silence for it to be ready. Mikasa was staring at him and he knew she wanted him to break the ice, but he had no idea how. Sure he liked Armin a lot from what he had discerned from their short meetings and his regular trips to the library, but if he were honest he truly didn't know very much to begin with.

As he opened his mouth to spit something out, Armin said, "I didn't know you two went to the university, too." Eren had never been more grateful to someone for bringing up a subject so he didn't have to. "What are your majors?"

"Political science," Mikasa said quietly, taking a sip of her lemonade.

"Criminal justice!" Eren grinned and Armin glanced away from meeting his eyes. "You?"

Seeming startled that someone would ask, Armin answered hurriedly, "Oh! Um, astrophysics." Eren raised his eyebrows in surprise but Armin didn't seem to notice as he continued on. "I'm graduating next June and I'm going to graduate school at the start of the fall semester next year to work on my Master's degree." He smiled sheepishly at the stunned expression on Eren's face and looked to his misted water glass in embarrassment.

"How old are you?" Eren questioned. He didn't seem that old but he wondered if looks were deceiving in this case. Armin had a gentle, round face and large eyes, and he was several inches shorter than himself and Mikasa. It would be a surprise if he were much older than they were.

"Nineteen, but I'll be 20 in November!"

"Oh, I just turned twenty last month, and Mikasa the same in February." She nodded in agreement.

He was stunned by the fact they were all born in the same year and had never met each other in grade school. The waiter brought out their pizza and the three of them divided it up between their plates. Eren couldn't help but notice the complacent expression on Armin's face as he ate and he wondered if Armin had very many friends. The conversation didn't die down after that as they discussed their interests and classes and aspirations. Eren wasn't surprised to hear that Armin wanted to be a famous scientist and discover exactly how the universe was created, though Armin seemed surprised as Eren's desire to be a forensic analyst.

"I thought you were going to say an officer or lawyer with that degree." Eren avoided Mikasa's eyes as Armin spoke, quickly changing the subject to Armin's career plans, which he was more than happy to talk about. He discussed theories that went way over Eren's head as they finished their pizza and well after the check was dropped off, but he and Mikasa were a captive audience the best that they could manage.

"I'm so sorry I've talked so much," he said suddenly, checking his cell phone for the time. "I'm sure you both have things to do besides listen to me go on and on about space!" He picked up the bill and Eren was about to tell him that they needed to have it split when he handed the check and his own bank card to the waiter. Before he or Mikasa could protest, he waved off their concerns. "Don't worry about it," he said with a smile. "I don't really get asked to hang out a lot and it was nice to sit with you and talk. So thank you."

Mikasa smiled back at him. "We'll do it over break, too. Do you live close to the city?"

His face was stunned and he almost didn't answer. "Y-Yes," he stammered, fidgeting in his seat, "I live right by the library in my parents house."

"We'll do this again, then," Eren said, clapping Armin on the shoulder. For a moment they were all grinning at each other like idiots until the waiter came back with Armin's card and the receipt. They paused outside while Armin put his things away into his satchel, and Mikasa led them all back to her car to drive them back to school. Eren climbed into the passenger seat and Armin opted to sit in the back behind Eren, and the radio was turned on with the car, filling the vehicle with music. Eren glanced at the blond through the side mirror on Mikasa's car surreptitiously and he was staring out the window, though at what Eren could not tell.

The trip was too short as they returned to the school and Mikasa dropped off Armin by his car. Eren and his sister slipped out of the vehicle so they could all say their goodbyes. Mikasa hugged Armin tightly around the shoulders and Eren, though his hands were aching to do the same, instead smiled at him and said, "See you around, man!" Armin nodded happily and threw his arms around Eren's waist, hugging him tightly. He was too startled to return the embrace and Mikasa nudged him towards her car, trying not to laugh at his awkward stance. Armin waved as the two got back into the car and Mikasa drove off, though Eren watched Armin until he got into his little two door car and head away from the campus in the side mirror.

When the two arrived for their final class of the day, Mikasa ushered him aside before entering the lecture hall. "Is he what you were hoping?" she asked quietly, her tone asking more than just that though Eren wasn't quite sure what it could be.

Eren tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean?" She didn't reply, watching him silently. "Mikasa, I just..." He felt uncomfortable, unsure of how to talk about it on such a casual level. He could discuss it the way he'd been: not in very many words. 'Let's go to the library Mikasa,' 'Mikasa, give me that book, I'll check it out for you,' 'Just ten more minutes, I swear I'll go talk to him,' even though he never built up the courage.

Truth was, he really wasn't so sure what drew him in to Armin Arlert. He had a sweet face with large blue eyes, a mouth that expressed all of his thoughts and feelings, and soft blond hair that framed his pale features perfectly. Eren, as far as he could remember, hadn't found anyone—man or woman or otherwise—as attractive as he found Armin and it wasn't just something he was able to put words to. He shrugged noncommittally. "So far, yeah." He was a little afraid to get too invested just yet. Armin had a great personality, he just had to see more of it.

Mikasa nodded and touched his arm. "I want you to be happy. Let me know if I can do anything for you." Before he could reply, she walked into the classroom, leaving him stunned and full of thoughts of Armin Arlert.

After class Mikasa dropped Eren off at his mother's bakery for work. The building was in a newer part of town, sandwiched between a pizza place and a coffee shop. Carla's Rolling in Dough Bakery was popular, mostly because his mother was a fantastic cook and because of her incredibly friendly personality. He was so proud of her when the shop got so busy that she was able to quit her nine to five office job and do what she loved full time. She always seemed so much happier these days since that happened. When he entered, only one of his coworkers, Sasha Braus, was manning the counter.

Sasha was a cute girl, tall and thin with long brown hair and hazel eyes, a round face and a pretty smile. They had known each other since high school, when she started at the bakery, and the two had been friends ever since. "Hey, Eren!" she greeted, tossing him the apron hanging from the hook by the break room door and signing off of the register to head towards the back of the shop. "I'm glad you're here. I'm starving and I haven't been able to have my lunch break yet."

Eren frowned, glancing around the shop. "Where's Marco?" He missed the optimistic, freckle-faced Marco Bodt at the register when he came in these days. He felt like he hadn't seen the man in forever.

She poked her head out of the door, already starting to eat, and called, "He's got his hours cut in half because he's gotta help take care of his mom." Eren nodded, mentally noting to text Marco later to see if there was anything he could do to help. Carla wasn't there either, though Sasha said that she was getting change at the bank. It was a slow night so far at the bakery, Eren noted as he leaned against the counter on his cell phone. He was watching international soccer videos, the German team playing very well against the French team. Eren couldn't wait for spring break to be over if only to get back on the field with whatever new coach the school found after the previous one quit.

He heard the bell on the door ring and he quickly stashed his phone into his apron pocket. "Welcome to Carla's. How can I help you today?" Eren slipped behind the register and then faced into the store front. A small man was facing away from him, leaning down slightly to get a better look at one of the cases of pastries. He had black hair and a slim physique, and was dressed very casually in a pair of dark jeans and a blue shirt. He couldn't really tell much else about the man from just looking at the back of him. Once he finished his greeting, the man turned. He seemed a bit older than Eren, though not more than ten years judging by how young looking he still was. There was slight crinkles at the corners of his mouth and eyes though and Eren couldn't pinpoint exactly what age he was

"Looking, for now," he replied, sparing only a second glance towards Eren before returning his attentions back to the case of eclairs. He wanted to feel affronted, but the man's actions left little room for disapproval and he decided to remain quiet for the time being. An awkward silence filled the shop save for Sasha's lunch crackling in the back room, and Eren felt uncomfortable waiting until the man made his way to the register. His face seemed in a perpetual state of annoyance and that set Eren on edge, feeling apprehensive as the man stopped before him. He was significantly shorter than he previously anticipated and he had to lean around the register to see him.

"Can I help you sir?" he asked uneasily, trying to avoid biting the inside of his mouth nervously.

He regarded Eren for a moment. "The usual kid isn't here tonight?"

Eren wasn't sure if it was a question or not, so he answered tentatively, "Marco's hours were cut because of a family emergency, so I'm taking his evening shift now." The man nodded and motioned to the case with the pastries.

"Three eclairs, then." Eren jumped to comply and boxed them up carefully as he could before ringing them on the register. The man had his money out before he even told him the total, though it was already exact change. As the man was leaving, Sasha had finished her break and emerged from the back, licking her fingers and noticing his exit.

"Thank you, Levi!" she called cheerfully after him with a wave, and he lifted a hand in farewell without turning back around. Eren watched him go, curious and bemused then looked to Sasha for some sort of explanation as to what in the world just happened. She just laughed and shrugged. "Levi comes in about twice a week to buy those. Sometimes he comes in with this big, handsome blonde man too. Erwin I think his name is." She trailed off for a second, obviously thinking about the blonde man before resuming. "Anyway, he's a regular, so be nice!" She swatted at his arm before popping a strawberry from the case into her mouth.

"Sasha!" an exasperated voice came from the door, and she jumped, nearly choking on the chocolate covered fruit. "What did I tell you just last week about eating where customers can see you?" Carla Jaeger strode through the door with her lips puckers and a cash deposit bag under her arm. Sasha coughed for a moment longer before tossing the stem of the strawberry into the trash. She cleared her throat, slightly red from embarrassment.

"You said, 'Sasha stop eating by the food, it's unsanitary!'" Eren tried not to laugh as she did a very accurate representation of Eren's mom, and even Carla cracked a small smile as she tossed the deposit bag at Sasha and told them to start closing up. Eren and Sasha worked quickly and the two said their goodbyes at the door before Eren climbed into his mom's car with her.

He asked, "You have a good day today?"

"Yes, thank you honey," she said with a smile, patting his hand before clipping her seatbelt. "Excited for spring break, Eren?" He nodded, sitting back in his seat as his mother drove them home. He didn't know what he would ever do without her around, he thought as he watched her drive for a moment. That was for sure. Ever since his father died, she had really been the rock in his life and he liked to think he had been the same for her. Even after Mr. Ackerman came into the picture, they had each other through thick and thin.

And they always would.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The first few days of spring break proved as uneventful as they usually were. Eren slept in, lounged around the house, helped his mother with emptying out their home of all the clothes, books, electronics and other things they didn't use, want or need while Mikasa helped her father clean up the yard. It was almost therapeutic to have the four of them together and doing something as a family. Sundays were usually the best days for it, as the bakery and the mechanic's shop were closed and Mikasa and Eren didn't have school. Carla and John made a point to keep them all home on Sundays for that exact reason.

Bags of dead flowers and sticks went to the curbside for garbage and yet more bags of clothes were piled up in the back of his mom's car to take to the thrift store. Despite being sore from kneeling on the ground for so long, Eren really did enjoy himself that day with his sister and his parents.

"Eren?" The knock at his door was firm but soft, though Eren tried to ignore it as he rolled back over and attempted to fall back asleep. He didn't know what time it was, just that he had stayed up until three in the morning playing Call of Duty with Connie and was incredibly tired. He heard her knock again and tried to tell her to go away but the words came out as a long, dissatisfied grunt rather than an actual thought. The door opened though he didn't have time to tell her to go away before she threw open his blinds and sat down on top of him. "Check your phone."

He pouted at her before reaching to the floor to pick it up, blearily checking the screen with half of his face still pressed into his pillow. He had two waiting text messages from 9:23 in the morning and he clicked on the icon to read it.

**From: **Armin Arlert

**Body: **_Hey, would you be free to hang out today?_

The second was also from Armin.

**From: **Armin Arlert

**Body**: _Mikasa can come too if she likes._

He say up in bed and pushed Mikasa off of him as he moved, flattening his hair with one hand and holding his phone up to his face to reread his messages with the other. She seemed unperturbed like she usually did, making herself comfortable at the foot of his bed and tucking her feet under herself to get comfortable. "Armin messaged me on Facebook to see if we wanted to hang out, since you never replied to his message."

"I was asleep," he replied indignantly, texting Armin back to let him know that they were interested in seeing each other when Mikasa gently touched his arm. "What?"

"Eren, you go. Take my car and have fun." She pressed her keys into his palm and smiled at him. "If Armin is everything you're looking for I want you to find out." Eren was quiet, watching his sister's face, almost perplexed. Mikasa had always been the first to give up everything for him and his happiness and as if to prove a point, here she was, being selfless again.

"But Mikasa—"

She waved her hand. "Don't worry. I'm going to see Annie today anyway and Mom already said she would drive me." She patted his arm and left the room with a wave, closing his door behind her as she left. Eren smiled and checked his new messages from Armin asking if he'd like to go get lunch and then check out the newly opened museum downtown. He wasn't sure how much fun a museum would be, but if Armin wanted to go then he would be willing to check it out. Eren had never been the museum type, but Armin was pretty smart and probably be the most interesting person to go with.

He showed and dressed quickly, sending Armin a text to ask for his address and that he would be on his way shortly to pick him up. Mikasa's car was a large, black SUV, very different from his mom's car that he usually drove and it took a moment for him to get used to the reach. He hated to admit it but Mikasa was slightly taller than him and he had to readjust the seat as he waited for Armin's return text with his address. It didn't take long, though, and he was on his way with his phone acting as a GPS. He was surprised to find that the address took him in the direction of the oft visited library. There was also a gate code included with the address and he figured Armin was probably in a really nice neighborhood.

But he truly was not prepared for the sheer wealth the neighborhood exuded. Not only was there a gate, but there was also a man attending the front entrance. The houses beyond the gate were enormous and Eren felt a bit intimidated by the sight. He drove up to the gate slowly, though the man didn't spare him much of a glance as he put in the gate code, continuing to follow his GPS to the house at the very end of the first street. It was a beautiful home, white walls and tall arching windows and the front door was stained glass with a lattice overlay. Even the landscaping was unbelievable, the grass newly cut and emerald green, with a gaudy water feature near the driveway and a beautiful willow tree gently brushing the sidewalk in the breeze.

All of the decoration nearly drew his attention away from the door opening and closing and the small figure of Armin Arlert heading for his car. He wasn't wearing his glasses this time and his hair was let down to frame his face. He was bundled up against the chilly springtime weather in a maroon blazer and black slacks, his satchel slung over his shoulder as he made his way down the driveway in brown leather loafers. Eren pressed the autolock on the car to let him in and smiled as Armin struggled to climb up into the car for a moment. He didn't have to time to offer to help before he managed to hoist himself up, closing the door behind him and strapping himself in.

"Hey Eren," he greeted, almost shyly, pushing his bangs out of his eyes and settling his blue leather satchel at his feet.

"Hey!" he replied, unable to keep the huge grin off of his face as he turned the car around to head back towards the gate. "Mikasa had a hair appointment, so it's just you and me today."

Armin nodded. "She told me. But I don't mind it!" He looked very determinedly at his hands as he spoke, though Eren wasn't really sure why. He seemed a little nervous and Eren was about to assure him that he was a very safe driver when he blurted out loudly, "I hope you like the museum. It's about the history of law and crime and I thought it would be something you'd be interested in considering your major."

"Whoa, really?" he asked, surprised that Armin put that much consideration into their outing. "That sound really awesome, Armin. Thanks!" Armin seemed rather pleased with himself for suggesting it and smiled happily as he followed the familiar streets and turns to his favorite burger place. It was a little pricier than most places that he would have normally decided on, but he just got paid and he was trying to impress Armin. Though money didn't seem to really be a issue for him as it was. But regardless, this may be the only time they hang out with each other, and he was determined to make something of a good impression.

"Oh man, I've always wanted to try this place!" Armin said excitedly as Eren parked, clamoring out as soon as it was safe with his satchel in hand and he had a much easier time of it than getting into the vehicle. Eren couldn't help but stop and admire how cute he was as he locked the car and followed him into the restaurant. It was crowded, but then again, all the best places to eat usually were. The cooks and and cashiers were calling to each other across the kitchen and the chatter of the patrons and clanging of kitchenware was almost deafening.

"Double with fries and a drink, please!" Eren ordered over the din and motioned to Armin. "And whatever he wants, too." Armin tried to protest but Eren nudged him towards the register, gently urging him to order. He requested the same thing that Eren did and pursed his lips slightly as Eren paid for them both. He ignored the look as he redirected Armin away from the cashier to an empty table and flopped into one of the chairs as Armin settled himself a little more gracefully across from him.

He said with a frown, "I could have paid. I invited you after all."

Eren shrugged. "Don't worry about it, man. You paid at the pizza place, remember?" He sat up a little straighter and smiled at Armin, who suddenly seemed anxious. "So, why an astrophysicist?" Armin didn't answer for a moment, surprised.

"It's a long story," he finally replied, dismissively, like he was sure Eren wouldn't want to hear it. Eren raised his eyesbrows and motioned for him to continue. Armin smiled. "My parents were both doctors, actually. They really valued a good education and intelligence above almost everything else, so I grew up that way too. But I saw the way they were always overworked and stressed as doctors and that they weren't really around a lot." He signed and bit his lip, sending a pang of sympathy through Eren. "I never wanted to do that to my own family, if I end up having one. So I'm sure being a scientist will have its own slew of problems but at the same time, it'll at least be something I'm passionate about."

The clouded expression that Armin wore faded and he glanced back up at Eren. "What about you? Why criminal justice?"

It was Eren's turn to frown as he glanced at his hands. "Well," he started uncertainly. He didn't usually make a habit of sharing the information that inspired him, but he saw Armin's clear, blue eyes and concerned expression and he knew that he could trust him. "it was because of Mikasa's mother." Armin's eyebrows drew together, unsure of how to process that information. "She was mugged and killed while out grocery shopping with Mikasa and no one ever found out who did it." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I've seen the kind of horrible things people do to other people and even though it's not the most intellectual goal, I want to try and stop it."

Armin's face was petrified and Eren felt instantly guilty for unloading all that information on him like that when they barely knew each other. He tried to apologize but Armin reached out and gently touched his hand, his face almost unreadable. "Eren, being the smartest isn't always the best thing a person can be. There's always something to be said for the strength of one's personal convictions. For someone with a lot of perseverance and passion." He was leaning in dangerously close to Eren and he had to hold his breath to clear his head.

"Order 24?" Eren jumped and Armin pulled his hand back quickly, his expression changing to mortified as the waitress put their tray down with their burgers.

"Thank you," Armin said meekly, avoiding Eren's face as he started to pick at his fries. They were quiet momentarily before he started speaking again. "Which, you know, you seem to have a lot of. I have my brain but my quality of character is pretty sorely lacking." There was a tension in the air that Eren couldn't quite place, but all he could think to do was try to make Armin feel better.

"Armin," he said after finally swallowing his initial mouthful of cheeseburger, trying to seem nonchalant rather than enamored as he spoke. "I think you're too hard on yourself. When push comes to shove, I think you'd be surprised how strong you can be." His cheeks were pink and his mouth was slightly agape.

He whispered, "Thank you Eren." They finished their food in content silence and when they were done, Armin followed Eren back to the car and directed him how to get to the museum. Eren's fingers itched with the desire to hold Armin's hand as he drove, but he fought it all the way to the museum, his knuckles white as he forced himself to keep them on the wheel.

"I hope you enjoy yourself!" Armin said in excitement as Eren bought their tickets at the front lobby counter.

Eren smiled. "I'm sure I will." He was never one for museums, usually. When he was a kid in school, he found them to be stuffy and boring, but for Armin he would give them another chance. Their small group waiting for the guided tour to start, and the two put their heads together to read over a pamphlet and discern what was included in the tour. "Oh, dude, look. An actual crime scene to investigate!" Armin smiled and nodded.

"We should take mug shots," he laughed, touching Eren's arm motioning to the next picture in the pamphlet.

Eren hadn't had so much fun in months.

He and Armin had won the contest to figure out the crime scene when the first tour entered, and they won two free tickets to come again. Next they were shown a replica of an actual booking station and walked through the process. Eren was engrossed as their tour guide showed them the bombs, rounds, and artillery laid out for inspection, and he leaned over to get a better view of one of them. "We have a mock shooting range, if you wanna try," the tour guide said, as she eased in between Eren and Armin.

"Yeah?" he asked in excitement, following her eagerly into the next room, gripping Armin's sleeve so he would follow them. The tour guide handed him the handgun that felt a bit heavier in his hand than he had been expecting. The target wasn't too far away, in fact it seemed a little closer than the standard distance that he remembered seeing in the movies. With both eyes open, he lined up the shot to the target and pulled the trigger. Armin jumped in surprise at the noise and the recoil hurt his hand, but he had a nearly perfect headshot to the paper target. The room clapped, but he didn't fail to notice that Armin's face was a little paler after he had shot gun, though he wasn't sure he wanted to ask why just now.

The rest of the tour was uneventful, though Eren noticed a significant decrease in Armin's mood as they finished the tour and began to leave. They headed for the door and the tour guide pressed something into his hand with a bright smile and waved them out. It wasn't until they got to the car that Eren opened up his hand and saw that the piece of paper had scribbles on it that read 'Mina' with a phone number below it. He felt his ears grow warm and crumpled it up before tossing it to the floor of the car and throwing it into reverse.

"You gonna call her?" Armin's voice sounded small and almost sad, though Eren couldn't begin to fathom why.

He laughed. "No, I don't think so. She's not really my type." _Because I'm gay. I like men. I like you, _he wanted to say, but he just couldn't bring himself to spit the words out. The fear of rejection was too real, just when they were starting to become friends. But his answer seemed to change Armin's mood a little for the better, and the two talked over the radio while he drove Armin home.

They parked in Armin's driveway for the better part of an hour, talking about the museum and their tour and how much fun they had. "We should do it again," Armin said loudly and then stared at the steering wheel like he had said something offensive.

"Sure," Eren agreed quickly before Armin could change his mind about it. "I'll call you and we can figure something out with Mikasa." Armin nodded and squeezed Eren's fingers with one of his hands, his blue leather satchel clutched in the other. Eren's heartbeat sped up until it was almost all he could hear, unable to speak as Armin leaned slightly forward.

He said softly, "Thank you for today Eren. I had a great time." And then he was gone out the door, closing it behind him as he headed towards the beautiful stained glass door of his home. Putting his hands around his mouth and turning back around, Armin called , "Text me when you get home safely!" Eren waved in acknowledgment that he heard and drove out of the driveway, through the gate, and started to head home. The streets weren't crowded as he hadn't been in rush hour traffic yet, and everything was calm and quiet.

The day had been one of the best he'd had in a long time, he realized, the warm feeling in his chest filling him to the brim with happiness. He'd have to thank Mikasa later for giving him the opportunity to do this alone with Armin, because she was right. He needed to figure out what it was about Armin that made Eren like him so much. But he could say, with complete honesty, that Armin was everything he could ever want, everything he had ever hoped for in another person. He was kind and smart, with a silly streak occasionally but maybe a little too serious more often than not. Regardless, he had ambition and was absolutely adorable when he talked about his passions.

Though Eren couldn't forget the expression on his face when he fired that gun, and it just made him want to know more about Armin. He wanted to learn everything he could and know him better than anyone else ever had. It took Eren a moment to realize he was already parked outside of his house just as the sun was going down, and shook his head to clear it. He had too much on his mind. He climbed down from the driver's seat and locked it behind him and walked in through the front door of his home.

It was quiet inside. Mikasa and his mother were in the living room watching TV on the couch and Eren noticed the difference right away. "Mikasa, your hair looks great!" Before it had been nearly to her waist and was black and shiny and straight. Now she had cut nearly a foot off of it, the tips barely brushing the bottom of her chin. Eren sat down next to her and examined the cut from a couple of angles, and nodded his approval to Mikasa's delighted smile. "Annie's really gotten better since hair school."

Mikasa nodded. "Much better than the last time she cut it." His mother cringed as Mikasa said that and he knew that she hated the super short, asymmetrical cut she had gotten before growing her hair out this time. "Did you have fun with Armin?" Eren settled into the couch next to his sister, though he chose to avoid looking at this mother as he replied.

"It was everything I hoped it would be."

She smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Eren was awoken at the crack of dawn by a barrage of text messages. He was nearly blinded as he turned on his phone screen, and saw that he had missed four texts and two phone calls from Marco Bodt. Groggily, he unlocked the device and began to read them in order, suddenly incredibly excited. He checked his voicemail, his breath held in anticipation.

"New coach, practice is gonna start today! It'll be at eight, so don't miss it because the new coach is supposed to be a hard-ass." Eren yawned and hopped out of his bed, tossing his phone back onto his pillow to free his hands to dig for his practice clothes. He pulled out his shin guards, shorts and matching white and green practice jersey that he was given at his first practice last year. He looked at himself in the mirror and determined that he was acceptably dressed for soccer practice. It had been weeks since their last coach, Coach Shadis, had quit suddenly and without notice after a mental break down at the local Denny's. Eren didn't think they would manage to hire a new coach until after break, but he was pleased they managed to.

It had been too long since he played.

"You're up early!" his mother noted, as Mikasa's father John was making breakfast. She kissed his forehead in greeting and he gently pushed her away in embarrassment. He sat at the table and wolfed down the waffles John set in front of him, checking his phone for the time and any new messages from his teammates. "What's on the agenda today, Eren? Soccer?" He downed the rest of his waffles and cleared his plate from the table to set it in the sink and gave his dad a hug in thanks.

"Yes!" he replied, grabbing a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and skirting around her to grab the keys to Mikasa's car. "Marco texted me earlier. I'll see you guys later!" He tossed his things into the backseat of Mikasa's SUV and hopped behind the wheel, carefully backing out of his spot and heading back to the school for the first time in over a week. His fingers tapped impatiently against the wheel as he waited at a light, ignoring the click of the turn signal as he glared at the clock. He still had about ten minutes to make it up to the field before he was considered late and he'd hate to make a poor first impression on the new coach.

He ran from the parking lot with his sports bag in hand, his cleats digging into his shoulder as he finally made his way up to the field with less than five minutes to spare. "Eren!" Marco Bodt waved him down and grinned at him as the voices around them grew louder, tossing the soccer ball to him. "Good to see you! How are you?" Eren dribbled the ball for a couple of seconds before kicking it back to him.

"Been great, Marco. Miss you from the shop," he replied with a laugh, shaking his friend's hand and glancing around at his teammates. They were all familiar faces from his previous team and he thought he saw a couple of new ones too, but he was too busy looking for their new coach to care very much about the new players just then. "Where's the coach?" he asked Marco, unable to spot whoever it was. He thought they had all amassed here to meet him, and he couldn't even be bothered to show up on time. Eren was slightly disappointed, thought mostly because he had been so excited to play soccer again.

"Jaeger!" Eren frowned, recognizing the voice but unable to put it to a name. He turned and grimaced immediately. Jean Kirstein was heading towards him with a smug grin and a jersey with the team colors slung over his shoulder, with a brand new pair of unworn cleats in his hand. "Funny seeing you here," he mentioned, dribbling the ball with ease on his knees and kicking it towards him. Eren caught it easily and let it drop to the grass in annoyance.

He snapped back, "Don't be stupid. You know full well I've been on the soccer team for years. What are you doing here?" Jean still had that smug expression on his face that made Eren want to punch it, but he caught sight of Connie Springer motioning to the edge of the field. He couldn't see clearly the three figures that were heading past the goal at the far end of the field where the remainder of the team was waiting. Eren squinted against the sun and say the largest individual was a tall, blond man with thick, sculpted eyebrows and piercing blue eyes. He was broad and had a tapered waist and Eren knew that no one would end up on the winning side in a fight against him.

The second figure was smaller, with pitch black hair and pale skin. He had a slim, fit figure and narrow shoulders, with almost permanently brooding eyebrows and gray eyes. It took a moment for Eren to realize that the man was one int eh same as the one who had visited the bakery the other night, and he was stunned at the revelation. The third and final person had fallen behind the other two and had dropped a stack of packets that he was currently chasing across the field. "I'll be back," he told Marco, jogging in the direction of the kid running harried across the grass. The two adult figures watched him as he ran by, but he ignored them as he started to grab up the packets that were being buffeted around in the wind.

He gathered up as many as he could before he turned to the young man that had lost them. "Armin?" he asked with a slack jawed expression and the student turned around in surprise.

"Eren!" Armin threw his arms around Eren's shoulders and Eren grasped him around the torso, lifting him slightly into the air before he realized what he was doing and set him back down with a very self conscious clearing of this throat. Armin's cheeks were flushed pink as he gathered the rest of his papers together and he stammered, "Thanks for helping me out." He diverted his eyes away shyly with a large smile on his face. Eren handed him the remaining packets and then dropped his hands to remain firmly at his sides.

"No problem, man." The two of them made their way back to the group in silence, one that Armin seemed interested in breaking but Eren was too mortified from his previous actions to meet his eyes. He needed to be more careful with the way his feelings manifested themselves around Armin, so as not to hurt their newly budded friendship. He needed to be sure this was something he could pursue before he even attempted to do so, because while only a select few people knew about his preferences, he wasn't about to let the entire world become aware just yet.

"Jaeger?" The smaller man was calling out the roster and Eren quickly joined the group, raising his hand as the man checked his name off the clipboard. Levi, he remember the man's name being, though Sasha had told him the name of his companion in passing, he couldn't quite remember what it was. The group was whispering among themselves as he finished calling off the list and handed the clipboard to the taller blond man. Eren was still convinced that he was perpetually annoyed and wondered how that type of temperament would translate onto the field. He hoped though that the coach would be much better than the previous one.

The larger blond man cleared his throat, and the whispers stopped as everyone gave him their attention. "Gentlemen, my name is Erwin Smith, newly appointed faculty adviser for the men's soccer team," he began, and then motioned to Levi, who was watching them all closely. "This is your new coach, Levi. Please extend to him the same courtesy as you had your previous coach." Connie snickered into his hand and rolled his eyes and Eren was tempted to smack him in the back of his shaved head. He obviously didn't seem to realize how serious their new coach was, how unlike their previous coach he was proving to be. Levi focused his eyes on Connie and Eren sighed as their coach strode over to him. Though he was an inch shorter than their new coach, Connie was still all bravado and confidence even in the face of that intimidating glare. Eren knew his friend was a good player, but they had yet to see what Levi was capable of.

Levi sized up Connie momentarily and unzipped his jacket, revealing that he was wearing their practice uniform as well underneath it. It was the first time Eren noted that he was wearing cleats too, and he knew instantly that Levi was a better coach that Shadis ever was. "Let's play," Levi said coolly, tossing the ball to Connie as Erwin motioned for them to shuffle to the edge of the field. Connie was suddenly unsure, tossing his own windbreaker aside and dropping the ball to his feet. Eren stood at the front of the crowd and felt someone sidle up next to him. Armin was loaded down with all of the paperwork Erwin had brought along for the team to fill out and he smiled at Eren.

"Wait til you see how Levi plays," Armin said excitedly, shifting the stack of papers from one arm to the other as Connie started off with the ball. Levi was still, his eyes still slightly narrowed as Connie made his way down the field towards him. "He used to be the best defender in the state, and got an Olympic gold medal too." Surprised, Eren turned away from Armin back to the field and watched Connie juke left to get around Levi. Faster than he could have imagined, Levi dropped down and knocked the ball from Connie's possession, skirting around him effortlessly and finally stopped about twenty feet downfield from him.

"You're too slow," Levi commented, placing his foot on the ball and regarding the rest of the crowd. "For of you come help your teammate. Get the ball from me and you're all safe from doing twenty five laps." Someone shoved him forward along with Marco, Jean, Thomas Wagner, and some freshman recruit from the beginning of the semester that barely knew defense from offense. Tentatively, Eren unzipped his windbreaker and handed it to Armin apologetically, assessing their miniature team. He knew Marco was a decent player, but Jean was a wild card that would probably as unpredictable as his temper. Not exactly the group of five he would have chosen to play against a gold medalist. He glanced to the sidelines and saw that Armin had finally gotten his papers under control and was wrapped up in Eren's windbreaker against the biting early April air.

The five of them positioned themselves in a random formation that had Eren frustrated, because it had absolutely no tactical significance and forced him to work within the parameters that he had. They moved on their new coach, but before Eren even knew what was happening, Jean was on his ass and Marco had fallen on his back behind him. Connie was tripped up trying to get the ball from the coach, toppling over Thomas and leaving the two in a pile on the grass. All that was last standing was Eren, and Levi tried to swoop around him with the insane speed and agility he had shown off during the first bout with Connie.

Eren stepped forward, using his longer legs as an advantage to try to scoop the ball from in front of Levi's feet. Before he made contact, Levi kicked the ball over Eren's foot and he missed the steal, watching his coach dodge around him and reclaim the ball easily. Defeated, Eren helped Connie and Thomas to their feet, lamenting the thought of fifty laps around the field. The rest of the team joined them on the field as Levi regarded their group. "You guys have no idea how to play as a team. It's pathetic and almost a waste of time to coach you." Eren frowned, but chose not to speak up. "There's talent, but that will get you nowhere if you continue to act like you're the only person on the goddamn field."

He turned to Eren, his gray eyes narrowed slightly. "Starting today, Jaeger is the new team captain. I don't give a shit who was before; this is a new team and he's the only one that's got any sense." Jean openly glared in his direction, but Eren ignored it, too busy focusing on Armin's proud and beaming expression. "He got close to taking the ball, so I'm dropping it to 25 laps. Then we start practice."

Eren had never been so tired or sore after soccer practice in his life. His legs felt like jelly and he had filled and refilled his water at least three times. He nearly didn't make it home after four hours of practice, exhausted and the thought of being the captain of the team wearing on him mentally. Though he wanted to see Armin and talk to him after practice, the young man had already left by the time he exited the locker room. It was disappointing, but he didn't want to wear out his welcome either.

He felt himself flush at the memory of how he let himself get carried away around him and tossed his cleats into Mikasa's car in embarrassment. As he was climbing into the front seat, he was stopped by Marco and Connie. "Eren, we're going to get lunch at the usual place. You wanna go?"

"Sure! Let me go get Mikasa and we can all go together." They agreed and walked back together to go join Jean, whom Eren had grown to increasingly dislike. He wasn't sure what the man had against him, but it was definitely starting to get on his nerves. He started up the car and called Mikasa from his cell phone, putting it on speaker so he wasn't driving with it in his hands. "Mikasa," he started when she picked up. "The team is going to get pizza, wanna go?"

"Yes, I'll be ready in ten. Thank you Eren!" She hung up just as he was turning into their neighborhood, and he slowed almost to a crawl to avoid reckless children or animals. He hit a rabbit one time when he first started driving and it was enough to scar him for life. His parents were both out when he got home, but he heard the blow dryer running in his and Mikasa's shared bathroom as he hurried to his room to change out of his uniform. After a moment of looking into the mess that was his closet, he decided on jeans and a t-shirt with black and blue vertical stripes. Eren wasn't much into caring what he wore, just as long as it was comfortable and fit him properly.

By the time he finished brushing out his hair Mikasa was waiting in the living room for him, dressed nicely and with her short hair curled at the bottom to frame her face. "Ready?" he asked, and she nodded, accepting her keys from him and unlocking her car as they left through the front door. She climbed into the driver's seat and Eren on the passenger side, before the two headed towards the pizza parlor for lunch. The radio was turned down relatively low as Mikasa asked, "Did practice go well?"

He nodded and smiled at her. "The new coach is pretty terrifying but I was made team captain this year!"

"Congratulations Eren!" she said as she turned swiftly into the parking lot and swung into the nearest spot. Mikasa drove well, she was just very deliberate and occasionally didn't feel like using the breaks even when the light was yellow and they were a hundred feet from the intersection. But someone she had never gotten stopped by a cop, which Eren could barely believe. They made it to the pizza parlor alive and the two chatted amiably as they entered through the front door. He saw that most of the team had already arrived and had taken over most of the back half of the shop. The two of them made their way to the ruckus and they all greeted Mikasa as enthusiastically as they greeted Eren, making her smile.

They sat between Marco and Thomas and joined in on the conversation as the pizza was being served and he was glad to see that Mikasa was talking to Sasha, who had been invited along with Connie. Outside of Annie, Mikasa didn't often go to places that weren't school or with Eren to the library and he was glad that all of his friends were taking to her so well. He downed the rest of his root beer and scooted out from the table, waving to them absently as he headed for the bathroom. It had been a very good day, he decided to himself as he finished and started to wash his hands.

He left the bathroom and headed back to where he had been sitting, when he saw a blond head leaning back in his chair next to Mikasa. Jean Kirstein was leaning over to talk to his sister, and Eren narrowed his eyes as he put his hands on the back of the chair. Mikasa had a cool, collected expression as she watched Jean flush and fumble over his words, but Eren didn't have patience to listen to him try to hit on his sister again. "Get up," he said as calmly as he could, tugging on the chair to move it from the table, and Jean glared at him.

"Back off, Jaeger," he warned, standing up from the table and knocking the chair to the side as his reddened cheeks subsided in his annoyance.

"Leave Mikasa alone." He flushed angrily, his hands balling into fists.

"Eren, I can handle myself," she said sternly, grabbing his wrist and trying to remove him from the confrontation. He sighed and gently removed his hand from hers, relocating the chair and trying to ignore the stares from the rest of the parlor patrons as well as the new team members who weren't as aware as the veterans who had known Eren for a long time and were familiar with the tension. Mikasa watched him as he took his seat and picked up his pizza again.

He said genuinely, "I'm sorry Mikasa." Jean didn't move from where he stood behind Eren, staring down at him still and his mouth was pressed into a tight, angry line. She patted his arm and turned to watch Jean, to make sure he would walk away without causing any further trouble. Marco eased out of his chair slowly and stood next to Jean and began to speak in a frantic whisper in an attempt to calm him down. He looked at Marco momentarily and then back to Mikasa and Eren, grimacing as he started to walk away.

"Fine. Let Mikasa babysit you, Eren, since you can't take of yourself. Or maybe you're looking to have Armin Arlert take care of—" Before he realized he was moving, his fist connected with Jean's cheekbone, the sting on his knuckles a welcome feeling. The following uproar was almost too much, as Marco and Connie dragged Jean away from Eren and out the back door and Mikasa and Sasha led Eren to the door on the opposite end of the building. He went quietly, realizing that he had really messed up this time and saw that Jean was standing in a confused stupor at the other end of the parking lot.

"What the hell was that about?" Sasha asked when they reached Mikasa's car, a bag of breadsticks in her hand and one in her mouth as she spoke. Eren didn't answer, his eyes focused hard on the painted lines in the parking lot as Mikasa quietly explained the situation. She nodded in understand, and powered down a couple more breadsticks as Connie ran over to greet them.

Mikasa asked, "Is Jean all right?"

Connie nodded. "Marco is going to drive him home. I think he's just surprised, mostly, though his cheek is pretty swollen." Eren's guilt deepened but he still said nothing to them, leaning against the SUV and counting the seconds before his sister touched his hand. She was still being kind to him, despite what he just did, and he met her eyes hesitantly.

"Let's go home. Mom and Dad will want to know what happened." Mikasa said their goodbyes for the both of them as Eren waited for her in the car, wondering how he was going to possibly bring this up to his parents without seeming like a huge ass. Mikasa would tell them the entire truth of course, because that's just how she was and he would have the bear the brunt of their wrath.

The ride home was a quiet one as Eren sunk farther back in his seat the closer they got to their home. He was so anxious his hands were shaking and he wondered how long it would take to get back into his parents' good graces after a disaster like this. Mikasa parked on the curb outside and Eren could see his mother reading on the couch in the living room. Eren unbuckled his seat belt and Mikasa caught his hand, saying quietly, "Please let me explain what happened to them." He nodded and followed her out to the front door, trailing miserably behind her and trying to avoid looking guilty as his mother glanced up from her book.

"Hey kids," she greeted with a smile, looking them over momentarily before her eyes moved from Mikasa to Eren, and trailing down to Eren's red and bruised knuckles before frowning. "What happened, Eren?" He opened his mouth to admit the stupid, foolhardy way he had been acting, but Mikasa spoke up first.

She said quickly, "Eren stopped a man from harassing me." Eren kept his facial expression neutral as he could, though he wondered why Mikasa was bending the truth on his behalf. He watched her as she sat down next to his mom and motioned for Eren to come join them. He did so awkwardly, and his mother examined his hand fretfully. "He followed me out of the store and to the car where Eren was waiting for me," she continued casually, petting her mother's knee as her mouth grew thin with worry. "He grabbed my arm and Eren hit him until he let me go."

Carla let out a relieved sigh, a hand to her chest as she looked between her children, her expression caught between fear and blessed relief. "I'm glad you took him with you, Mikasa," she said tearfully, hugging them both and trying to hold back her tears. Eren shot a grateful glance at Mikasa who returned a tiny smile before Carla let them both go. "I'm so glad you're both all right."

Eren lay awake in bed that night, infinitely grateful for having a sisterlike Mikasa as he examined his purpling knuckles in the semi-darkness. Things had started so well for him that day and it had just gotten worse and worse. He sighed and rolled over to check his phone like he usually did when he couldn't sleep. He saw on Facebook that Armin was still up as well, and Eren threw all caution to the wind and sent him a message.

_You're up late!_ he wrote, rolling onto his back and holding his phone above his face.

The typing icon began to pulse and Armin replied, _Finishing up all the paperwork for the soccer team actually! _And then he wrote, _How's your hand?_

Eren frowned. _How'd you know?_

_Mikasa, of course. I'm sure Jean deserved it though. _Eren hoped Mikasa didn't specify exactly what it was that triggered him to hit Jean, otherwise he might die of embarrassment. _What are you doing?_ Armin asked, after Eren didn't reply.

_Can't sleep. Actually wanted to ask what you were doing tomorrow._ The typing icon stopped and started several times over the course of the next couple of minutes and Eren waited impatiently, almost assuming it was going to be a casual decline after the over-affectionate way Eren greeted Armin this morning. _I'm free_, he answered, _what were you thinking to do?_ Eren had been planning something for a while and figured tomorrow was as good a day as any to roll out his plan. It was two days before the start of the semester again, and he wanted to go out with a bang. Though whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was yet to be determined.

_You'll see. Just dress casual._


End file.
